Gunner
Gunner in July 2011.
Birth name	Chadwick Lail
Ring name(s)	Phil Shatter[1] Phill Shatter[2] Shatter[1] Gunner[3]
Billed height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[4]
Billed weight	247 lb (112 kg)[4]
Born	(1982-06-06) June 6, 1982[1] Hickory, North Carolina, United States[1]
Billed from	Parris Island, South Carolina[2] Hickory, North Carolina[4]
Trained by	Abel Atoms[1]
Debut	August 2001[1]

Chadwick "Chad" Lail (born June 6, 1982) is an American professional wrestler, currently signed to the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion, under the ring name Gunner, where he is the current holder of the 2013 TNA World Heavyweight Championship Feast or Fired briefcase. He is also a former TNA World Tag Team Champion with James Storm and a former TNA Television Champion.

In addition to wrestling for TNA, Lail also performs for various promotions on the independent circuit under the ring name Phill Shatter.

Professional wrestling career

NWA Anarchy (2001–2011)

Lail achieved the rank of Gunnery Sergeant while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps (which is the source of his current ring name of Gunner).

After serving in the Iraq War with U.S. Marine Corps as a machine gunner,^[5][6] Lail signed with NWA Anarchy using the ring name of Phil Shatter. Shatter eventually received a championship match against NWA Anarchy Heavyweight Champion Ace Rocwell. Shatter won the match and the title.^[7]

Shatter later won the NWA National Heavyweight Championship from Crusher Hansen on January 17, 2009, and is the longest reigning champion in the title's history. Shatter would drop the championship to Chance Prophet on February 19, 2011, after signing a contract with Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA).^[8]

In October 2010, Shatter defeated Chase Stevens for the Showtime All-Star Wrestling (SAW) International Heavyweight Championship, but was forced to vacate the title in June 2011, due to being unable to defend it because of his TNA schedule.^[9]

Ring of Honor (2010)

Shatter appeared at Ring of Honor's The Big Bang! pay-per-view on April 3, 2010, defeating Zack Salvation in the opening match of the pay-per-view.^[10]

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

Immortal (2010–2012)

(Left to right) Gunner and Murphy on TNA Impact! in July 2010.

At the June 23, 2010, tapings of TNA's Impact! television show, Shatter made his TNA debut, along with Mikael Judas, as TNA's on-air security. On the July 29, 2010 edition of TNA Impact! taping, Shatter, now using the name Gunner and Mikael Judas, using the name Murphy, came out after an altercation involving Jeff Hardy and Mr. Anderson with Matt Morgan, and attacked Hardy and Anderson, thus turning heel. They then teamed with Morgan in a handicap match, where they were defeated by Hardy and Anderson.^[3][11] After appearing with Morgan the following week, Gunner and Murphy's angle with him was discontinued and they went back to being regular security guards.^[12][13] On the October 21 edition of Impact! Gunner and Murphy aligned themselves with Jeff Jarrett and helped him beat down Samoa Joe.^[14] At the Turning Point pay-per-view Gunner and Murphy interfered in a match between Jarrett and Joe, helping Jarrett pick up the win.^[15] On the following edition of Impact! Gunner and Murphy made their in–ring return, losing to Samoa Joe in a handicap match.^[16] After Jarrett's feud with Samoa Joe ended, Gunner and Murphy became regular members of the Immortal stable and were less involved with Jarrett. At the December 9 tapings of Xplosion Gunner and Murphy picked up their first win in TNA, defeating Ink Inc. (Jesse Neal and Shannon Moore) in a tag team match.^[17] On February 13, 2011, at Against All Odds, Gunner and Murphy wrestled their first TNA PPV match, a six man tag team match, where they teamed with their Immortal stablemate Rob Terry in a losing effort against James Storm, Robert Roode and Scott Steiner.^[18]

Gunner after attacking Mr. Anderson.

In February both Gunner and Murphy signed two–year contracts with TNA, which saw them moved from their roles as just security guards into the active roster.^[8] On the February 24 edition of Impact!, Gunner and Murphy defeated Eric Young and Orlando Jordan to earn their first shot at the TNA World Tag Team Championship, held by Beer Money, Inc. (James Storm and Robert Roode).^[19] They would receive their shot at the title on the following edition of Impact!, but were defeated by Beer Money, Inc.^[20] On March 14 at the tapings of the March 17 edition of Impact!, Gunner defeated Murphy and Rob Terry in a three–way match to win the vacant TNA Television Championship.^[21][22] He would lose the title to Eric Young on May 17 at the tapings of the May 26 edition of Impact Wrestling.^[23][24] On the June 9 edition of Impact Wrestling, Gunner pinned World Heavyweight Champion Sting in a tag team main event, in which he teamed with Mr. Anderson against Sting with Eric Young.^[25] The following week, Gunner asked new TNA World Heavyweight Champion Mr. Anderson for a shot at his title and eventually put him through a table, when he declined. In the main event of the show, Gunner defeated Anderson in a non-title match.^[26] From June to September, Gunner was one of the twelve participants in the Bound for Glory Series to determine the number one contender to the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. When the group stage of the tournament concluded, Gunner finished in the top four and thus advanced to the finals at No Surrender along with James Storm, Robert Roode and his Immortal stablemate, Bully Ray.^[27] On September 11 at No Surrender, Gunner was eliminated from the tournament, when he was defeated by Bobby Roode via submission.^[28] Gunner then began feuding with Immortal's former referee, Garett Bischoff, losing to him via disqualification, following interference from Ric Flair, on the November 10 edition of Impact Wrestling.^[29] This was followed by Bischoff picking up two pinfall victories over Gunner on the November 17 and December 8 editions of Impact Wrestling where he would injure Garett by piledriving him into the concrete floor.^[30][31] He would do the same to Jesse Neal and Douglas Williams on the December 15 and 29 editions of Impact Wrestling.^[32][33] On the January 5, 2012, edition of Impact Wrestling, Gunner fought Rob Van Dam to a double countout but failed to injure him after Van Dam retaliated and back body droped him onto the concrete.^[34] Three days later at Genesis, Gunner defeated Van Dam after dropping him onto the concrete floor with a DDT.^[35] On February 12 at Against All Odds, Gunner, with Eric Bischoff in his corner, defeated Garett Bischoff, who had Hulk Hogan in his corner, in a singles match.^[36] On April 15 at Lockdown, Gunner represented Team Eric Bischoff in the annual Lethal Lockdown match, where the opposing team was led by Garett Bischoff, who ended up winning the match for his team.^[37] On the following episode of Impact Wrestling, Gunner unsuccessfully challenged Devon for the TNA Television Championship.^[38] On May 17, Lail announced that he had signed a new three year contract with TNA.^[39]

After a three month hiatus, Gunner returned to Impact Wrestling on July 26, when he, along with Kid Kash, confronted and eventually attacked the debuting Chavo Guerrero, Jr., before he was saved by Hernandez.^[40] On August 12 at Hardcore Justice, Gunner and Kash were defeated in a tag team match by Guerrero and Hernandez.^[41] Gunner and Kash faced Guerrero and Hernandez, now the TNA World Tag Team Champions, in a rematch on the October 18 episode of Impact Wrestling, but were again defeated.^[42]

Teaming and feuding with James Storm (2013–present)

After another hiatus, Gunner returned on January 12, 2013, at TNA One Night Only's Joker's Wild event, teaming with Crimson in a losing effort against Christian York and James Storm after Storm hit the Last Call on Gunner.^[43] The pay-per-view was aired on May 3.^[44] Gunner returned to Impact Wrestling on May 23, attacking Robbie E and Shark Boy and being chosen as James Storm's partner in his four-way elimination match for the TNA World Tag Team Championship at Slammiversary XI, thus turning face.^[45] On June 2 at the pay-per-view, Gunner and Storm won the match over Bad Influence (Christopher Daniels and Kazarian), Austin Aries and Bobby Roode, and defending champions Chavo Guerrero, Jr. and Hernandez to win the TNA World Tag Team Championship.^[46] Gunner and Storm returned on the August 8 episode of Impact Wrestling, teaming up with ODB to defeat the BroMans (Jessie Godderz and Robbie E) and Mickie James in a six-person mixed tag team match.^[47] On October 20 at Bound for Glory, Gunner and Storm lost the World Tag Team Championship to The BroMans in their first title defense, ending their reign at 140 days.^[48] Gunner and Storm received their rematch on the October 31 episode of Impact Wrestling, but were again defeated by the BroMans.^[49] After, both started a confrontation. During a match in the TNA Heavyweight Tournament, Gunner threw in the towel for Storm before Bobby Roode could plant Storm through barbed wire. After the match, tensions would continue to rise between Gunner and Storm. On December 12, 2013, in the Feast or fired match Gunner was one of the four participants (along with Zema Ion, Chavo Guerrero and Ethan Carter III) to retrieve a briefcase. On next week's episode, his case contained a match for the World Heavyweight Championship, further angering James Storm, whom Gunner had stolen the briefcase from. Gunner put the briefcase on the line against Storm on the December 26, 2013 episode of Impact Wrestling, but the match ended in a double countout, so Gunner retained the case.^[50] Gunner then retained the case again against Storm at Genesis, where the case was suspended from a pole. Gunner and Storm made amends at the January 30th episode of Impact, they where then challenged by Bad Influence with the condition if either Kazarian or Daniels won that they would get Gunner's briefcase. However Storm and Gunner would win the match.

Personal life

Lail is married to fellow professional wrestler Jayme Jameson.^[51]

In wrestling

• Finishing moves
  • As Gunner
    • Fireman's carry facebuster^[22][25] – 2011–2012
    • Gun Rack (Backbreaker rack)^[52] – 2013–present
  • As Phill Shatter
    • PTSD – Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Powerbomb)^[2]

• Signature moves
  • Fist drop^[2]
  • Side slam backbreaker^[1]
  • Spear^[2]
  • Spinebuster^[1]

• With James Storm
  • Double team finishing moves'
    • Powerslam (Gunner), Running Neckbreaker (Storm) combination
    • Catapult by Gunner transitioned into a DDT by Storm

• With Murphy
  • Double team finishing moves
    • Sidewalk slam (Murphy) / Diving elbow drop (Gunner) combination^[19]

• Nicknames
  • "Mr Intensity"
  • "The Modern Day Viking" (MDV)^[53]

• Managers
  • Jeff G. Bailey^[2]
  • Ric Flair^[54]
  • Eric Bischoff^[36]

• Entrance themes
  • "Inflikted" by Cavalera Conspiracy^[2] (NWA)
  • "Immortal Theme" by Dale Oliver^[55] (TNA; Used while a part of Immortal)
  • "Day of Rage" by Dale Oliver^[56] (TNA)
  • "Longnecks & Rednecks" by Montgomery Gentry^[57] (2013–present; used while teaming with James Storm)

Championships and accomplishments

Shatter as the NWA Anarchy Heavyweight Champion.

• National Wrestling Alliance

• Future Legends Cup (2010)^[58]

• NWA Anarchy

• NWA Anarchy Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[59]
• NWA Anarchy Tag Team Championship (1 time)¹ – with Kimo and Abomination^[60]

• NWA Charlotte

• NWA Mid-Atlantic Heritage Championship (1 time)^[61]

• NWA East

• NWA National Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[62]

• Pro Wrestling Illustrated

• PWI ranked him #55 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the PWI 500 in 2012^[63]

• Showtime All-Star Wrestling

• SAW International Heavyweight Championship (1 time)^[64]

• Total Nonstop Action Wrestling

• TNA Television Championship (1 time)^[21][22]
• TNA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) – with James Storm
• Feast or Fired (2013 – TNA World Heavyweight Championship contract)

¹Shatter defended the title with either Kimo or Abomination under the Freebird Rule.

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gunner.

• TNA Wrestling profile
• Official Myspace Page of Phill Shatter
• Gunner on Twitter